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In 2017, I published three short stories. Woo! Subjects include DEFYING BIG OWL, HARBINGER OF DOOM, VERY BAD WENDIGO MOVIES, and APACHE VICTORIAN GHOSTS! Word lengths range from about 3400 to 5000 words, they’re eligible for the Nebula, Hugo, and other awards for short spec fiction. Let’s round ’em up!

Irene is tormented.
By her guilt.
By her desire.
By the shadows and the voices.
And by a sinister new wendigo movie called THE FAMINE KING.

This is one heck of a weird story, and I love it. The monster is literally a bad wendigo movie.

It begins: I was a seven-year-old prisoner of sleep paralysis. My eyes, which could move side to side like marbles in a doll’s head, observed a human silhouette behind the closed bedroom window. Face pressed against the glass, it said, “Hey, Irene. I have a secret for you. People rarely starve like they used to.”

Today, on a teetering skiff, I reached Whalebone Island. Mister Franklin crosses the inlet twice a month to deliver mail and supplies. In three years, he has never seen Loretta’s face. She hides behind a veil.

EDIT 2/29/2016: Publisher Steven Saus has responded to my and other criticisms (particularly regarding use of the term “exceptionalities”) about the Steampunk Universe call to submissions. Happily, changes have been made. The updated call is here: http://steampunkuniverse.alliterationink.com

My faith in the project has been restored, and I encourage diverse writers to submit their stories. If you have further concerns, please don’t be afraid to speak. You and your voice are important; based on my experience today, I feel that the publisher and editor of Steampunk Universe respect that.

Please bear in mind that the views in this post are mine and mine alone. I do not speak for all Lipan Apache people; I certainly don’t speak for all indigenous Americans.Continue reading →

Today we’re joined by Darcie Little Badger. Darcie is a wonderfully talented Apache writer who writes short fiction in the the horror and dark fantasy genres. Her work has recently appeared in Strange Horizons, Vignettes from the End of the World, and Dark Eclipse. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I write speculative fiction, stories from my daydreams and nightmares. Favorite genres include horror, dark fantasy, and fantasy. Though my published work is all short-form (< 10,000 words per story), I’ve been planning a humor/mystery/horror novel for several years; that project will begin in earnest after I complete my scientific dissertation. By day, I study phytoplankton genes.

Nick Robles has created more glorious character art for Shining Ascension. Nick, you’re awesome! ❤

Maedoc the King’s Son (ax), Caratacos the Magician’s Son (spear), and Bricius the Poet’s Son (crouching) meet Bregga during her quest. Are they friends or foes? You’ll have to read the comic to find out! 😀

The half-brothers will appear in the Shining Ascension series, coming to the Internet early 2015.